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Written By Bayyarapu Mahesh Kumar , M Pharmacy
Reviewed By Dr Aneela Siddabathuni , MPharma., PhD
Last Updated Nov 10, 2024 | 7:19 PM IST
Sulfent 500mg Tablet is used to treat alcohol dependence or chronic alcoholism. It contains Disulfiram, which works by blocking an enzyme that breaks down alcohol in our body. This results in a higher level of acetaldehyde in the blood, causing discomfort and physical reactions. It can help alcohol-addicted people who have decided to quit alcohol drinking by deterring them from drinking again. So, it acts as a supportive agent in the treatment of alcoholism. It may cause common side effects such as drowsiness, tiredness, headache, acne, flushing (warmth, redness, or tingly feeling), sweating, increased thirst, swelling, rapid weight gain, nausea, severe vomiting, neck pain, throbbing headache, blurred vision, fast or pounding heartbeats or fluttering in your chest, confusion, weakness, spinning sensation, feeling unsteady, or and metallic/garlic-like taste in the mouth may occur as your body gets used to the medication. Do not take this medicine if you have consumed alcohol within the past 12 hours.
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Prescription drug

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Composition

DISULFIRAM-500MG

Manufacturer/Marketer

TNT Lifesciences

Consume Type

ORAL

Return Policy

Not Returnable

for this medicine

About Sulfent 500mg Tablet

Sulfent 500mg Tablet is used to treat alcohol dependence or chronic alcoholism. Heavy long-term use of alcohol can cause addiction in an individual, thereby making changes in your brain. Long-term alcohol intake can severely damage your liver and cause liver cirrhosis or fatty liver syndrome.

Sulfent 500mg Tablet contains 'Disulfiram', which works by blocking an enzyme that breaks down alcohol in our body. When a patient drinks alcohol, it is changed into acetaldehyde, Sulfent 500mg Tablet blocks the enzyme that breaks down acetaldehyde. This results in a higher level of acetaldehyde in the blood, causing discomfort and physical reactions. Sulfent 500mg Tablet can help alcohol-addicted people who have decided to quit alcohol drinking by deterring them from drinking again. So, it acts as a supportive agent in the treatment of alcoholism. 

Sulfent 500mg Tablet should be taken as prescribed by your doctor, with or without a meal, to avoid stomach upset and at fixed daily intervals for best results. The common side effects of Sulfent 500mg Tablet include drowsiness, tiredness, headache, acne, flushing (warmth, redness, or tingly feeling), sweating, increased thirst, swelling, rapid weight gain, nausea, severe vomiting, neck pain, throbbing headache, blurred vision, fast or pounding heartbeats or fluttering in your chest, confusion, weakness, spinning sensation, feeling unsteady, or and metallic/garlic-like taste in the mouth may occur as your body gets used to the medication. Everyone need not experience the above side effects. If the Sulfent 500mg Tablet causes any serious case of discomfort, speak with a doctor.

Before starting Sulfent 500mg Tablet, do not take Sulfent 500mg Tablet if you have consumed alcohol within the past 12 hours. Do not consume alcohol while taking Sulfent 500mg Tablet and at least up to 14 days after you stop taking Sulfent 500mg Tablet. If your doctor prescribes, Sulfent 500mg Tablet is safe to use during pregnancy and breastfeeding. Unpleasant effects may occur after taking minimal amounts of alcohol used in cooking or even if rubbed into the skin. Avoid alcohol-containing aftershaves, perfumes/colognes, body lotions, vinegar, and alcohol-containing mouthwash and hand sanitiser. Even exposure to alcohol-based hand sanitisers in some people can trigger a serious side effect response. Hence, hand washing with water and soap is recommended instead.

Uses of Sulfent 500mg Tablet

Treatment of Alcohol addiction

Medicinal Benefits

Sulfent 500mg Tablet contains 'Disulfiram', which belongs to 'Antabuse' used to treat alcohol dependence. It works by blocking an enzyme (acetaldehyde) that helps break alcohol in the body. Sulfent 500mg Tablet helps alcohol-dependent people who have decided to quit alcohol drinking by deterring them from drinking again.

Directions for Use

Swallow Sulfent 500mg Tablet as a whole with water; do not crush, break or chew it.

Storage

Store in a cool and dry place away from sunlight

Side Effects of Sulfent 500mg Tablet

  • Drowsiness

  • Tiredness

  • Headache

  • Acne

  • Metallic/garlic-like taste in the mouth

Drug Warnings

Before taking the Sulfent 500mg Tablet, let your doctor know about all your medical conditions, sensitivities, and all medications you are using. Signs of an overdose of Sulfent 500mg Tablet include feeling or being sick, stomach pain, diarrhoea, drowsiness, mental disorders, tiredness, rapid heartbeat, rapid breathing, high body temperature, low blood pressure, loss of muscle control, high blood sugar, changes in the blood (as seen in blood tests). Certain foods, liquid medicines, remedies, tonics, toiletries, perfumes, and sprays may contain enough alcohol to cause a disulfiram tablet-alcohol reaction. So avoid using any alcohol-containing drugs, hand wash, mouth wash or alcoholic beverages as it may lead to an 'aldehyde reaction'.

Drug Interactions

Drug-Drug interactions: Sulfent 500mg Tablet interacts with anti-seizure drugs (phenytoin), anti-asthma drugs (theophylline), blood thinners (warfarin, dicumarol), anti-tuberculosis drugs (rifampicin, isoniazid), sedatives (chlordiazepoxide, diazepam), antipsychotics (pimozide), anti-depressants (amitriptyline), mental health drugs (chlorpromazine), and antimicrobial drugs (metronidazole).

Drug-Food interactions: Avoid taking Sulfent 500mg Tablet with caffeinated products like chocolate, coffee, energy drinks & tea. The patient is advised to avoid alcoholic beverages or alcohol-containing products/foods (e.g., cough and cold syrups, mouthwash, aftershave, sauces, and vinegar) while taking this medication and for two weeks after stopping the medication.

Drug-Disease interactions: Sulfent 500mg Tablet is to be avoided in a patient with coronary artery disease, mental disorder, diabetes, underactive thyroid gland, brain seizures, brain damage, kidney disease & liver disease.

Drug-Drug Interactions Checker List

  • THEOPHYLLINE
  • PHENYTOIN
  • WARFARIN
  • DICUMAROL
  • RIFAMPICIN
  • ISONIAZID
  • PIMOZIDE
  • AMITRIPTYLINE
  • CHLORPROMAZINE
  • METRONIDAZOLE+CHLORHEXIDINE

Habit Forming

No

Diet & Lifestyle Advise

  • A patient is advised to have a diet that increases serotonin levels which makes a person feel good & involves eating foods high in carbohydrates, especially the complex carbohydrates present in starchy food items like legumes (e.g., beans, lentils and peas), root vegetables (e.g., potatoes and carrots), pasta and bread. Eating such foods in combination with protein in meals will benefit.

  • Deficiencies in B-complex vitamins such as thiamine, folate or folic acid, and B12 are common with alcoholism, and inadequate stores of other B vitamins and vitamin C frequently occur. A patient should take supplements and vitamins on consulting a doctor.

  • Malnutrition is common during alcohol consumption and is revealed slowly and gradually. The patient becomes tired and develops a weaker immune system—which means they are more susceptible to infections. These problems need to be identified and treated during the recovery process—ideally by a team of healthcare professionals.

  • The patient should change his drinking priorities and prefer drinks like apple cider, vanilla shake, mixing juice or lemonade with sparkling water etc.

Special Advise

  • Sulfent 500mg Tablet may interfere with certain laboratory tests (including urine VMA/HVA tests), possibly causing false test results. It is a paramount priority for a patient to enlighten the laboratory personnel and all their doctors to know they use this drug.

  • Sulfent 500mg Tablet should never be given to a patient when they are in a state of alcohol intoxication or without his full knowledge.

  • After you stop taking Sulfent 500mg Tablet, do not drink alcohol for at least seven days as your body needs to start making the enzyme 'acetaldehyde' again. In case, drinking alcohol earlier than this may trigger an 'aldehyde reaction'.

Disease/Condition Glossary

Chronic alcoholism: Alcoholism is the addictive drinking of alcohol that results in physical & mental problems. A person can become an alcoholic out of stress, depression or just after developing a chronic habit. Excessive alcohol use can damage various organs like the brain, heart, kidneys and most importantly, the liver, which leads to liver cirrhosis (liver dysfunction). In most severe cases, there is an immediate need for liver transplantation. During pregnancy, drinking alcohol in large amounts affects the unborn baby and may lead to various birth complications.

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Alcohol

Unsafe

Not recommended for alcoholism as Sulfent 500mg Tablet and alcohol causes severe 'aldehyde reaction' causing life-threatening conditions.

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Pregnancy

Caution

Not enough data available but Sulfent 500mg Tablet is not given in pregnant females unless recommended in a doctor.

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Breast Feeding

Unsafe

Not recommended as such, as not enough data is available. Breastfeeding mothers should consult a doctor before taking the Sulfent 500mg Tablet.

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Driving

Caution

Not recommended before driving. Sulfent 500mg Tablet has been found to cause drowsiness in the patient. Hence, taking Sulfent 500mg Tablet before driving or performing hazardous tasks is not recommended.

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Liver

Caution

Not recommended in liver patients. Sulfent 500mg Tablet has been found to cause liver damage in patients & hence not recommended to be taken without doctors consultation.

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Kidney

Caution

Not recommended in kidney patients. Sulfent 500mg Tablet should be taken by kidney patients only on doctors consultation.

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Children

Unsafe

Strictly not recommended in children. it may result in neurological interactions resulting in harmful symptoms.

Country of origin

India
Other Info - SU79413

Author Details

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FAQs

Sulfent 500mg Tablet is used to treat alcohol dependence or chronic alcoholism.
Sulfent 500mg Tablet contains 'Disulfiram', which belongs to 'Antabuse' used to treat alcohol dependence. It works by blocking an enzyme (acetaldehyde) that helps break alcohol in the body. Sulfent 500mg Tablet helps alcohol-dependent people who have decided to quit alcohol drinking by deterring them from drinking again.
An asthmatic patient, if already on cough-suppressing medications like diphenhydramine, is not recommended to take Sulfent 500mg Tablet. Sulfent 500mg Tablet and diphenhydramine are contraindicated and may result in harmful implications.
Not recommended in patients taking blood thinners like warfarin to prevent blood clot formation inside heart/brain vessels. Warfarin (blood thinner) and Sulfent 500mg Tablet are contraindicated and should not be taken together.
Yes, Sulfent 500mg Tablet has been implicated in altering the results of tests done for adrenal tumours & hence not recommended to be taken before any diagnostic test is done.
The common side effects of Sulfent 500mg Tablet are usually temporary, including headaches, nausea, a metallic taste in the mouth and feeling tired.
Take the missed dose as soon as you remember. Take the rest of the day's doses at evenly spaced intervals unless otherwise directed by your doctor.
Sulfent 500mg Tablet is safe if taken in the dose and duration prescribed by the doctor.
Sulfent 500mg Tablet is not an over-the-counter medicine. It can be taken only when prescribed by the doctor.
Sulfent 500mg Tablet is not addictive. It does not have habit-forming tendencies.
Sulfent 500mg Tablet will not work for everyone. It is used to help people with an alcohol addiction who have already stopped drinking and are maintaining their ability to no longer drink alcohol. Sulfent 500mg Tablet is not recommended for people with heart failure or coronary artery disease.
Sulfent 500mg Tablet does not stop cravings. It is a medicine used along with social support and counselling, to help people recover from alcohol use disorder and to avoid having the urge to drink alcohol again. It causes sudden, undesirable effects when mixed with alcohol to help you refrain from alcohol, even if you are dependent on alcohol.
Sulfent 500mg Tablet takes 1-2 hours to start working. For the full benefits, keep taking Sulfent 500mg Tablet for the prescribed duration.

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